Got the motorhome........Almost

[chasd60]

Well I bought a motor home in New Hampshire but I have to do a few repairs on it before I can bring it home.
   
   The seller said it had a sticking right front brake caliper that he would replace as part of the original purchase price.
   
   When I arrived to look at the motor home he said he would be willing to knock of some $$ if I replaced it myself but I told him I would rather just be able to pick it up and drive it home.
   
   While I was looking at the motor home he apologized that another interested party had just arrived and they were not supposed to be there until later in the day. The other party was also from Maine but had been to Rhode Island to look at a different motor home and stopped in New Hampshire on their way back home to look at this one as well.
   
   The interior of the motor home is in excellent condition, no roof leaks, upholstery in excellent condition and 42k miles on it.
   I told the seller I would pay his asking price of $5500 if everything worked well when we started it up.................... it didn't.
   
   I had switched the gas tanks over a few times while the engine was running and my son was looking underneath. The left side exhaust manifold sounded like it was leaking a little exhaust but the engine was running very smoothly. After running for about 5-10 minutes, my son told me to shut the engine off. When I had shut it off, he told me that gas was pouring out of somewhere on the top of the tank where the fuel sending unit and fuel lines are. He also said the left side muffler and exhaust turned cherry red. The seller was totally embarrassed and said it had to be Murphy at work because everything worked great when he used it last year. The other buyer that showed up was in constant contact with her husband and her husband wanted to talk to the seller as we found problems.
   
   We think the fuel leak is something simple because of where it came from and when I switched back to the AUX tank, the leak stopped. I think the best guess on the exhaust is that some little critter built a nest in it and it will need to be cleaned out and that may also be the reason the exhaust manifold had leak.
   
   Speaking with the seller about the problems, my son blurted out "will you take $4000?" The seller stammered a little and said he would like to get $4500 by taking off $500 for the brakes and another $500 for the exhaust and gas leak. My son said "how about we meet in the middle at $4250?"
   The seller said I guess I will take it if you have cash in your pocket, which I did.
   The other buyer looked agitated and told her husband that it was now sold. The seller apologized to her and said he would hate to see her leave with nothing and had a gallon of spring water she could have for her troubles. Kind of funny but he was actually serious.
   
   I have to drive to NH to do the work on the motor home but it is only about 12 miles from my son's house. I may just replace the caliper and cut the exhaust off on the left side and take it to his house to complete anything else it needs.
   
   
   1987 Coachmen Classic 360 (yep a 36 footer)
   More pictures to come later
 

 
 
 
 

[Jim K in PA]

Wow!  That is a monster!  Congratulations.

The exhaust manifold should not leak, regardless of the restriction in the rest of the system.  On my old big block Plymouth fury wagon, it did not use gaskets between the head and the manifold.  Mine would start to leak toward the rear of the head.  Try just re-torqueing the manifold bolts to see if that stops the leak.

My bet is that the gas leak is from a dry-rotted fuel line at the top of the tank.  It would be prudent to change all of the rubber lines at this point.  

You may also want to check the rubber brake lines for signs of cracking/dry-rot.

Best of luck with it!

[Jim K in PA]

Oops!  I was recalling from your other post on this unit that you thought it was a 440 Chrysler plant.  I think the BB Chev's use gaskets, so you will probably have to go through the whole magilla of pulling the old manifold, cleaning off the old bits and replacing the gasket.

Sorry - thought I would try and save you some time!

[chasd60]

Oops! I was recalling from your other post on this unit that you thought it was a 440 Chrysler plant. I think the BB Chev's use gaskets, so you will probably have to go through the whole magilla of pulling the old manifold, cleaning off the old bits and replacing the gasket.
 
Sorry - thought I would try and save you some time!

The 440 was for the 23 footer I didn't buy.

[Kelly]

wow Charlie ~ that is some rig!!  ... and your son sounds like quite the negotiator .... must run in the family.  

How about we meet in the middle and camp together sometime?  

[wavery]

The fuel leak problem it probably caused from the fuel return line from the fuel pump. It may return to that tank and the tank may be full of gas. If that's the case, that tank should always be used first before switching to the other tank. I hope that it's that easy.

It could also be a leak in the fuel return line. Any way that you look at it, it pretty well has to be the fuel return that is the problem.

A friend of mine has a rig like that. He just spent $4,000 on a brake job. Don't mean to scare you but those things are usually equipped with air brakes and they can be VERY expensive to get repaired. The only place that will touch them (usually) is a commercial truck repair shop.

Those 454's are notorious for cracked exhaust manifolds.

The exhaust should not turn cherry red at idle under any circumstances. The only thing that comes to mind is a plugged muffler. Did you see water coming out of the exhaust???

[tlhdoc]

Welcome back Chaz!  So when and where are you going camping?

[chasd60]

The fuel leak problem it probably caused from the fuel return line from the fuel pump.

That is what we were thinking
 
 

A friend of mine has a rig like that. He just spent $4,000 on a brake job. Don't mean to scare you but those things are usually equipped with air brakes and they can be VERY expensive to get repaired. The only place that will touch them (usually) is a commercial truck repair shop.
 

This is a P30 GM chassis with hydraulic brakes, rebuilt caliper can be had for about $55 without a core exchange. Not that I am familiar with air brakes, I typically do all of my own work on vehicles. Google is a wonderful thing..........
 
 
 

Those 454's are notorious for cracked exhaust manifolds.
 

I was reading a service manual that stated the problem manifolds were up until 1986. I hope that is the case but I did find headers for $45 each side if they are cracked.
 
 

The exhaust should not turn cherry red at idle under any circumstances. The only thing that comes to mind is a plugged muffler.

I agree, even though it was sticking at a somewhat high idle. We think it could be as simple as a rodent building a nest in the muffler. The coach has been sitting unused next to the woods since last fall.

[chasd60]

Welcome back Chaz!  So when and where are you going camping?

If all goes well I plan on camping at Acres of Wildlife campground in Steep Falls Maine on Columbus day weekend. We like to stay there and go to the Fryeburg Fair.

[chasd60]

wow Charlie ~ that is some rig!!  ... and your son sounds like quite the negotiator .... must run in the family.  
 
 How about we meet in the middle and camp together sometime?  

I took him and his girlfriend out for lunch before I headed home and gave him a nice crisp $100 bill for his efforts.

Meet in the middle? Is Assateague in the middle??

Gonna cost an arm and a leg to fuel this beast, we may have to make our vacations two weeks instead of one just so it averages out better.

[wavery]

My friends is built on a P60 Chassis with the 8.2L diesel engine (thus the air brakes).

The only place that will touch it is a garage that works on school buses ($200 per hr.). He doesn't do his own work but his brother is a diesel tech at that same shop.

I'm a little surprised yours is built on a P30 chassis because I think that his rig is smaller than yours.

It's a nice looking rig. I just wouldn't want to feed it. I don't even like feeding my little V6 towing the PU at 16MPG.

Seems like a heck of a buy if you can over-come the brake thing and the exhaust issue without braking the bank or the back....

BTW, that thing doesn't have a heat riser on the exhaust manifold does it??? I can't remember what year they stopped using those but it may be right around that time. If it has one, a couple of well placed blows from a hammer and a can of good rust penetrant (not WD40) may clear that right up. Be careful not to crack the exhaust manifold.

[ForestCreature]

[indent]  

Originally Posted by Kelly
 wow Charlie ~ that is some rig!!  ... and your son sounds like quite the negotiator .... must run in the family.  
 
  How about we meet in the middle and camp together sometime?      

[/indent]I took him and his girlfriend out for lunch before I  headed home and gave him a nice crisp $100 bill for his efforts.
 
 Meet in the middle? Is Assateague in the middle??
 
 Gonna cost an arm and a leg to fuel this beast, we may have to make our vacations two weeks instead of one just so it averages out better.

Kelly, we could all just show up @ Assateague and stay in that BUS  :yikes:  and leave our campers home. You could drive here and then we could road trip and split the gas

That thing is huge Charlie, You guys should be quite comfortable.

[chasd60]

All of the pictures are up but not sorted, just a jumble.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze89slh/id6.html

[wavery]

All of the pictures are up but not sorted, just a jumble.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze89slh/id6.html

Nice rig......no point in going home...

[chasd60]

Nice rig......no point in going home...

Another 19 years til retirement:(